'Pak has successfully thwarted India's NSG bid'

Pakistan has ‘successfully’ blocked India’s bid to gain membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz told Pak parliament on Tuesday.

Pakistan has a strong case to gain NSG membership on merit and non-discriminatory basis, Aziz said in a statement.

‘We have been making successful efforts against India’s Nuclear Suppliers Group membership,’ he said.

His remarks came ahead of the key meeting of the 48-nation NSG this week in Seoul when it will take up the applications of India and Pakistan.

Aziz also told lawmakers that Pakistan was not being isolated and its official foreign policy was being tuned to the new alignments in the world.

He said Pakistan would continue to follow the policy of non-interference in affairs of other countries.

He said foreign policy was geared for the protection of national interests and nuclear assets.

Aziz said that Pakistan's political role would increase after becoming full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

He said Pakistan enjoyed historical relations with the Muslim world which were based on common religion and recent visits by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Muslim countries will not affect Pakistan’s ties with them.

Earlier, opposition parties blamed the government for failing to safeguard national interests saying Pakistan was being isolated in the region and demanded a review of its foreign policy.